Rapper Lil Nas X is facing the possibility of years in prison after prosecutors in Los Angeles charged him with four felony crimes, TMZ reports.
Lil Nas X charged after bizarre Los Angeles arrest
Among the charges is battery with injury on a police officer, which means that at least one officer was hurt during the confrontation.
The 25-year-old artist, best known for his hit song “Old Town Road”, was arrested last week after being found walking naked on Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
Police said that when they tried to stop him, he allegedly ran toward them and injured at least three officers.
According to TMZ, Lil Nas X was charged with three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer. In simple terms, these are crimes involving attacking or fighting with police while they are doing their job.
In the United States, a felony is one of the most serious types of crimes. If convicted, a person can face years in prison instead of shorter sentences like fines or probation.
Being charged with four felonies puts the rapper at risk of a long prison term.
Lil Nas X held without bail
Police say that after his arrest, Lil Nas X appeared to be under the influence of drugs, so he was first taken to a hospital before being booked into jail. He was held without bail over the weekend until he appeared before a judge on Monday morning.
He is expected to be arraigned later today, meaning he will stand before a court to formally hear the charges against him. At that stage, a judge will also decide whether he can be released on bail.
TMZ reports that the arrest followed hours of unusual behaviour. Videos from Wednesday, the day before his arrest, showed the rapper wandering shirtless through Hollywood and later entering a hotel courtyard.
By Thursday morning, he was filmed walking down a Los Angeles street wearing only underwear and cowboy boots before police intervened.
Fans also resurfaced an older video from February in which Lil Nas X spoke about personal struggles, saying that the past few years had been “pretty difficult” for him.
For now, Lil Nas X remains in custody at the Los Angeles County Jail. If convicted on all counts, he could face several years in state prison.
Police are continuing to investigate whether drugs played a role in his behaviour during the incident.